A cam follower of the pre-cited type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,733. A drawback of this cam follower is that no means are provided for excluding switching errors of its coupling means. Since, as a rule, such a cam follower is switched in a base circle phase of the cam in which its two sections bear uniformly against the base circle of the cam and the receptions for the coupling means are aligned to each other during this base circle phase, it is possible, for example at high speeds of rotation or due to other influences such as pressure medium fluctuations and the like, that, when leaving the base circle of the cam, i. e. at the beginning of the run-on flank, the coupling means have not yet reached their coupling or uncoupling position. If in such a transition state, the coupling means concerned overlaps an annular surface between the sections only slightly, the cam lift can be interrupted resulting in a considerable loading of the components and noise generation. With a too gradual servo medium pressure build-up in front of the coupling means for the desired coupling, especially at high rotational speeds, it is likewise possible that the coupling means do not reach their full coupling position.